1929 Bugatti Type 44 Roadster by Frugier

1929 Bugatti Type 44 Roadster by Frugier

This car is distinguished by the fact that it is still equipped with all its original parts, which is not a common occurrence for a Bugatti! According to the factory archives, it was ordered at the start of 1929 by Léon Boucher, the Bugatti agent in Limoges. Boucher was well known in motoring circles in the area as he took part in several hillclimbs with his Type 35 and Type 43 Bugattis from 1928 onwards (and continued to do so until 1931). Fitted with "temporary two-seat bodywork" comprising a bonnet, two wooden seats and spare wheels, the car was dispatched from Molsheim to Limoges, where it arrived on 14 September. Boucher delivered it to its first owner, René Berthomier, who wished to have a roadster body fitted to it. An architect, he lived at 4, rue de Maupas; this Type 44 is believed to be the only Bugatti he owned.

To produce the bodywork, he turned to a workshop in the city run by René Frugier. The work took about six months, at the end of which the car was graced with attractive two-seat convertible bodywork featuring understated sporting looks and a "dickey seat" at the back with room for a third passenger. On 3 March 1930, Frugier submitted the application to register the car, including the factory report dated 2 September 1929 and signed by E. Pracht, the administrative manager at Molsheim. With the registration number "5401-ZL" and designated as a "2-seat sport torpedo with a rear dickey seat", the Bugatti could now take its place in Berthomier's garage.

Descriptions & pictures by conceptcarz & artcurial & flickr & giif.fr & other